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Media Blitz Starting With Billboards in Western Cities, New Website”Keeping Coal in the Ground Shouldn’t Mean Turning our Backs on Workers”
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 437-7663 jnichols@wildearthguardians.org

Casper, WY—As theObama Administration moves to reform the way it manages coal, WildEarthGuardians is launching a media blitz—starting with billboardsin Salt Lake City and Casper, Wyoming—to call attention to the need to helpcommunities and workers transition away from coal in the American West.

“The coal industry collapsing, people are losing jobs, andtowns are in decline, yet with reforms underway, we have a tremendousopportunity to shift the focus to helping communities move on,” said Jeremy Nichols,Climate and Energy Program Director for WildEarth Guardians. “The reality is,coal is going away, but that doesn’t mean we turn our backs on workers and theneed for a just transition.”

WildEarth Guardians has been an outspoken critic of coalmining in the western United States, citing its impacts to the climate, a positionthat has drawn fire over the years. All told, more than 11% of all U.S.greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to the mining of publicly ownedcoal, most of it in the American West.

Although urging the Obama Administration to start keepingcoal in the ground, Guardians is bolstering its calls for “Just Transition” toensure that a move away from coal is coupled with support for communities andworkers.

“Keeping coal in the ground shouldn’t mean leavingcommunities and workers hanging,” said Nichols. “We’re here to say that we cansafeguard our climate and help coal towns throughout the American West move onfrom coal to more prosperous and sustainable economies.”

In digital billboards launched this week in Salt Lake City andCasper, WildEarth Guardians is delivering the message that “coal miners havehelped keep the lights on, now it’s time for us to help them transition.” Thebillboards, which are located off I-80 and Main St. in Salt Lake and off I-25and Elma St. in Casper, direct people to the website, Just-Transition-Now.org,which urges people to call on President Obama to make “Just Transition” apriority.

The billboards and broader media push are tied to the U.S. Departmentof the Interior’s sweeping review of the federal coal program. Last month, theInterior Department kickedoff a public comment period and scheduled several public hearings across thenation, including on May 17 in Casper and May 19 in Salt Lake City. Othermeetings are planned in Grand Junction, CO, Seattle, WA, Pittsburgh, PA, andKnoxville, TN.

The reform efforts come on the heels of mounting controversyover the federal coal program, particularly over the climate impacts ofauthorizing more coal mining and over whether Americans are receiving a fairreturn as publicly owned coal is leased and mined.

The public hearings also come as the coal industry is in atailspin. Because of excessive debt, declining demand, geologic realities, and businessmodels that rewarded executives for poor business practices, companies arein decline. In the last year, Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, and Alpha NaturalResources—the first, second, and fourth largest coal companies in the U.S.,respectively, filed for bankruptcy.

Industry’s decline is hitting communities hard, with hundredslaid off in Wyoming, declining revenue, and minesbeing shut down.

“The coal industry’s decline is leaving a trail of disasterhere in the western United States,” said Nichols. “It’s time to move on, but weneed to take deliberate and effective steps to make that happen, includingmaking sure coal companies themselves pay up and ensuring the InteriorDepartment also advances transition.”

In advance of public hearings, Guardians is calling forpeople to support a four point “Just Transition” plan, which includes:

• Raising royalty and rental rates that are assessed for publicly owned coal production and invest the increased returns into community support initiatives.

• Establishing an Economic Transition Fund, which would be sustained by an increase in reimbursement fees charged by the Interior Department when processing coal-related applications.

• Setting deadlines for full coal mine reclamation to ensure taxpayers are not on the hook for cleanups, to restore fish and wildlife habitat, and to secure reclamation jobs.

• Prioritizing support and assistance to help communities transition.

“We have an obligation to ensure that as we’re confrontingthe coal industry, we’re also advancing a meaningful transition,” said Nichols.“Instead of sitting idly by while the coal industry collapses, we’re steppingup to say we want to do everything we can to help communities and workers getthe support they need to move on.”